4 Ways To Include Your Four-Legged Friends Into Your Wedding
When planning your wedding you may want to have a huge celebration to include the whole family which of course may mean you do not want to leave out your furry companions. It may not be traditional to have pets at your wedding but it is definitely something becoming more and more popular, with many more couples incorporating their furry friends into their guest list. I have seen couples factor them into their special day in many different ways, I have put together my favourite ways below:
Book a Pet-Friendly Venue
This may seem obvious but having your pets at your wedding can often be something couples don’t plan for until nearer to the wedding after the venue is booked and confirmed. You need to decide on how you plan to involve your pets before you confirm with your venue, as, if you know it is important to you to have them with you at the wedding you will need to ensure you are allowed to do this in line with your venues regulations. There are pet-friendly venues out there, there will just be different regulations for you to look into. For instance, a venue may allow you to have your dog in the ceremony but will not allow them into the reception rooms and bedrooms, meaning you would need to make arrangements for them to be collected after the ceremony and to be looked after by someone for the evening if you are staying over at your venue.
Include Them in Your Outdoor Photos
If you are unable to include them in the indoor parts of your wedding, speak with your venue and photographer about including them in your outdoor photos. This is a lot more likely to work in line with the regulations of the venue and you will get some beautiful family photos to cherish forever. Make sure that you arrange a specific person to bring the dog in time for the photos and take them home after, as you won’t have time to do this yourselves. If possible you don’t want to give this task to someone attending the wedding as it may involve a lot of travelling time back and to away from the guest enjoying the day with you.
Have Them Be The Ring Bearer
Your furry companion could make a very cute ring bearer, based on you having an outdoor ceremony or them being allowed in the ceremony room of course. You could attach a small box onto their collar or put them in an outfit with a pouch for the rings, if you are worried they wouldn’t walk straight down the aisle on their own accord have them walk down with a groomsman or bridesmaid. The photographer can then get some lovely photos of your pooch with you at the altar and as ring bearer, I would recommend arranging for your photographer to have some of their favourite treats available to help guide them in the right direction!
Include Them In Your Wedding Cake Topper
When arranging the cake topper for your wedding cake you will need to decide if you are going to have a standard pre-made one or it be personalised and handmade. If you have the budget I definitely recommend having your own made, every couple I know that have done this have been grateful they did and said if they did it again they wouldn’t change it. Going for a personal topper means you can include your furry companions, so they are showcased as being a part of the family. This will be especially significant and important to you if you are unable to include them in the wedding in any of the above ways. Speak to your supplier who is making the cake topper about the different options, they will most likely ask for photos of your dog to give them something to work from or they may say its best to meet them in person depending on how detailed the topper will be. Having them included on your topper will catch your guest’s eyes and will also create great photo opportunities for your photographer, it would be a lovely addition to your day that is unique whilst also including your furry friend.
There are many different ways to include your four-legged friends on your special day, it is mainly a case of looking into different venue regulations to give you an idea of what your options are as well, of course, ensuring there is someone outside of your guests that are available and trustworthy to look after your pooch for the parts of the day that they can’t be included. I would love to know how you are planning to involve your furry friends into your wedding, please let me know how you have found arranging this and if you have any other ideas at all!